# US 9,520,715 B2 · ESD protection device of touch panel > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,520,715 B2 - Document ID: US9520715B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/096,302 - Filed: 2013-12-04 - Published: 2014-04-03 - Granted: 2016-12-13 - Earliest claimed: 2012-09-25 - Assignees: Shanghai Tianma Micro-Electronics Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Shanghai Tianma Micro-Electronics Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Zhongshou Huang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9520715B2 ## CPC - G06F 3/041: Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means - G06F 3/0443: {using a single layer of sensing electrodes} - G02F 1/136204: {Arrangements to prevent high voltage or static electricity failures} - G06F 3/0447: {Position sensing using the local deformation of sensor cells} - H02H 9/045: {adapted to a particular application and not provided for elsewhere} - H02H 9/046: {responsive to excess voltage appearing at terminals of integrated circuits} - G02F 1/13338: {Input devices, e.g. touch panels} - G02F 2202/22: Antistatic materials or arrangements - G06F 2203/04103: Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices - G06F 2203/04107: Shielding in digitiser, i.e. guard or shielding arrangements, mostly for capacitive touchscreens, e.g. driven shields, driven grounds - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G02F: OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS - H02H: EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS (indicating or signalling undesired working conditions G01R, e.g. G01R31/00, G08B; locating faults along lines G01R31/08; emergency protective devices H01H) ## Abstract An ESD protection device for a touch panel is disclosed. The protection device includes an ESD protection circuit, and a protection switch connected in series with the ESD protection circuit. The protection switch is configured to turn on in response to an electrostatic potential of a sensing line or a driving line of the touch panel being equal to or greater than a preset potential, such that static electricity from the sensing line or the driving line is conducted to a peripheral common electrode busbar, or to an ESD discharge busbar, or to a ground busbar. In addition, the protection switch is configured to turn off in response to a panel of the touch panel being normally driven. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An ElectroStatic Discharge (ESD) protection device for a touch panel, the protection device comprising: a first ESD protection circuit; and a protection switch connected in series with the ESD protection circuit, wherein the protection switch is configured to turn on in response to an electrostatic potential of a sensing line of the touch panel or a driving line of the touch panel being equal to or greater than a preset potential, such that static electricity from the sensing line or the driving line is conducted to a peripheral common electrode busbar, or to an ESD discharge busbar, or to a ground busbar, and wherein the protection switch is configured to turn off in response to a panel of the touch panel being normally driven, and wherein the protection switch comprises a first Thin Film Transistor, and a control gate of the first Thin Film Transistor is connected to a control pulse, and wherein the control gate of the first Thin Film Transistor is connected to the ground busbar, the common electrode busbar, or the ESD discharge busbar through a second ESD protection circuit. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The ESD protection device for the touch panel according to claim 1, wherein: the protection switch is connected between the first ESD protection circuit and the sensing line of the touch panel; or the protection switch is connected between the first ESD protection circuit and the driving line of the touch panel; or the protection switch is connected between the first ESD protection circuit and the ESD discharge busbar; or the protection switch is connected between the first ESD protection circuit and the ground busbar; or the protection switch is connected between the first ESD protection circuit and the common electrode busbar. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The ESD protection device for the touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the first ESD protection circuit includes at least one protection switch. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The ESD protection device for the touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the protection switch further includes a second Thin Film Transistor, and the first Thin Film Transistor and the second Thin Film Transistor are connected in series with each other, the control gate of the first Thin Film Transistor and the control gate of the second Thin Film Transistor are controlled by two mutually inverting control pulses, and the first Thin Film Transistor and the second Thin Film Transistor are both PMOS transistors or are both NMOS transistors. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The ESD protection device for the touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the protection switch further includes a third Thin Film Transistor, and the first Thin Film Transistor and the third Thin Film Transistor are connected in series with each other, wherein one of the Thin Film Transistors is an NMOS transistor, and the other one of the Thin Film Transistors is a PMOS transistor, and a gate of the NMOS transistor and a gate of the PMOS transistor are controlled by the same control pulse. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The ESD protection device for the touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the protection switch is a dual-gate Thin Film Transistor made of Low Temperature Poly Silicon, or Cadmium Selenide, or Oxide semiconductor, and the dual-gate Thin Film Transistor includes a top gate and a bottom gate, and the top gate and the bottom gate are respectively controlled by two mutually inverting control pulses. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The ESD protection device for the touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the first ESD protection circuit includes a pair of Thin Film Transistors, the pair of Thin Film Transistors comprising a fourth Thin Film Transistor and a fifth Thin Film Transistor, and the fourth Thin Film Transistor and the fifth Thin Film Transistor are connected with each other in a back-to-back configuration. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The ESD protection device for the touch panel according to claim 7, wherein multiple pairs of Thin Film Transistors of the first ESD protection circuit are connected in series, or in parallel, or in a combination of series and parallel. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The ESD protection device for the touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the first ESD protection circuit, the protection switch, and a Thin Film Transistor array of the display are disposed on the same substrate. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The ESD protection device for the touch panel according to claim 9, wherein the ESD protection device is connected to: an imaging device of two-dimensional images; or a sensor based on mechanical touch and pressure; or a sensor based on two-dimensional spatial information generated by a direct or indirect effect of sonic waves, or light waves or electromagnetic waves. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The ESD protection device for the touch panel according to claim 9, wherein the Thin Film Transistor array is configured to drive a Liquid Crystal Display or an Organic Light-Emitting Diode array.